I don’t know how Moon Glyph find these psych bands that avoid all ironic detachment from said genre, not to mention the traditional pitfalls associated with it, but here we are with another pair of unknown artists that perhaps we should have been aware of: Halasan Bazar and Tara King th. (the ‘th.’ included for ultimate press awkwardness) of Copenhagen, Denmark (among other places). 8 makes a strong case for the legitimacy of its aims right away, settling into an upper-psych groove that tiptoes around a lot of tall trees but never nests long. You could go insane trying to pinpoint all the minor blushes; that said, I think it’s safe to say ?-wave psych groups like Religious Knives (RIP, I presume?) and People’s Temple fit in there somewhere, along with Stereolab (perhaps even Broadcast if “Ventolin” is any indication), and… damn, like I said, this band is tough. “Below Your Deepest Expectations” is so powerful I almost suspect it had to come from somewhere else, but alas, it just happened to wash up on the creative doorstep of Halasan Bazar & Tara King th. and end up on my turntable. There are less graceful moments, such as “Door Wrap,” a track so clunky it had to be titled so, and when you first hear the mix of the sultry, feminine voice and the deep, forbidding call of the dude, it might throw you off. Don’t let it get you down, as there are far worse duos out there. Stay with 8 and it will stay with you…
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